Gas-measuring systems are used for industrial gas measurement and protect persons who are located in areas or rooms from hazards to health and life. Industrial gas measurement is important in an industrial environment, such as in the petrochemical industry, refineries, chemical industry, for monitoring explosive or toxic gases or vapors. Both mobile and stationary devices are used for these applications. Combinations of mobile or stationary devices are also used to make it possible to perform gas concentration measurements or gas analysis in storage tanks, boreholes or silos.
Thus, a combination of a mobile gas-measuring device and a pump is known from DE 10 2005 045 272 B4. It is thus possible to also use mobile gas-measuring devices for measuring gas concentrations in a main shaft, tank or in a borehole. Gas can be delivered to the gas-measuring device by means of the pump and an element for gas delivery, preferably a hose line. The pump is controlled in terms of the start of delivery, flow rate, end of delivery and other operating characteristics of the pump by the mobile gas-measuring device or the control thereof.
A possibility for testing a sensor system and a hose line of a gas-measuring system, which can be carried out essentially only once, is known from DE 10 2015 003 745 from the area of mobile gas measuring technology. A quantity of gas sample positioned at the end of the hose is introduced into the hose line by means of a remote release and fed to the gas-measuring system, so that testing of the sensor system and of the hose line is made possible.
A gas sensor with an adapter is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,406,854 B2. The adapter is configured to form a port of a hose line. It is possible via this hose line to feed gas from a remotely located measuring location to the gas sensor. This delivery of gas may be carried out, for example, by means of a feed pump.
Gas-measuring systems comprising a gas sensor and a gas generator are known from WO 1999/17110 A1 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 7,645,367. Such combinations of gas generators and gas sensors make it possible to test the measuring properties of the gas sensors, especially to determine whether the gas sensor responds sensitively to the admission of a measured gas concentration generated by the gas generator.
A device for testing a gas sensor is known, for example, from DE 20 2006 020 536 U1. A gas generator, which is suitable for generating ethane, is described. The gas generator is intended for testing the gas sensor and is configured to dispense a certain quantity of a gas to/into the gas sensor, and a change or response of the output signal of the gas sensor, which change or response is based on this, is an indication that the gas sensor is able to function.
Recommendations have been issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S.A. concerning function tests with so-called “bump tests,” wherein a regular testing of gas sensors can be carried out by means of suitable adapters and a suitable gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,406,854 B2 describes an adapter for testing or calibrating an electrochemical gas sensor. The adapter can preferably be arranged on the gas sensor with a Velcro fastener and can be removed again from same after the testing or calibration has been carried out.
The state of the art cited does not show any solutions for the repeated or regular testing of the operational capability in gas-measuring systems with gas feed lines or hose lines that are provided for feeding gas from a remotely located measuring location to a gas sensor system and are arranged in the gas-measuring systems. Ensuring the functional capability of the feed lines or hose lines as well as the connection elements thereof is just as essential for a reliable operation of the gas-measuring systems as the operational capability of the gas sensor system itself. Leaks in the gas feed lines, hose lines or connection elements (plugs, couplings, sockets, bonded joints, soldered connections, welded connections) bring about changes in the gas concentrations on the way from the measuring location to the gas sensor system, which may cause as a consequence an incorrect measurement with consequential incorrect assessments, measured value outputs and alarms concerning current situations at the measuring location. Leaks result, for example, from holes, cracks, kinks or porous partial sections in hose lines as well as from holes, for example, those caused by material fatigue in systems and corresponding screwed, plug-type or soldered connections or line couplings.
A regular, repeatable testing of the operational capability of the gas feed lines, hose lines and connection elements, which can be combined under a generic term of gas guide elements, is therefore of great significance.
Especially in the case of already existing plants or installations of gas-measuring systems with a plurality of gas sensors, there is need for testing the operational capability of the plant during the operation on a regular basis. In particular, there is need, in addition to the testing of the gas sensors, for also testing lines and gas feed lines. For installation situations in which the quantities of gas to be analyzed are fed to the gas sensors from locations located at a distance from the site of installation of the gas sensors by means of gas feed lines, it is advantageous to test the operational readiness and/or operational capability of the gas feed lines as well.